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WG3K > ANS 08.09.24 03:20l 43 Lines 2282 Bytes #74 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS252.7
Read: GUEST
Subj: Updated Software Available for NOAA Polar and Russian Meteor
Path: IZ3LSV<DB0ERF<DK0WUE<DK0WUE<VK5RSV<VK2RZ<KC9UHI<KA1VSC<WG3K
Sent: 240908/0218Z 7995@WG3K.#SMD.MD.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.24
Satellites
Tracking and downloading images from NOAA Polar and Russian Meteor weather
satellites are an excellent way to introduce young persons to the world of
amateur satellites and radio communications. True, they are not amateur
radio satellites. But, they are loud and always on. Using a SDR dongle
costing less than $50, a laptop computer that every kid already owns and
free software, youth can get their first taste of tracking a satellite
across the sky using a smart phone app, recording a downlink and printing
out pictures of their own weather in real time. From there it is a simple
jump to listening to voice communications and printing APRS packet
conversations from the ISS – another easy-to-hear and predictable source of
signals from space.
Historically, WXtoIMG has been the software of choice for the popular hobby
of decoding NOAA APT weather satellite images with RTL-SDR and other SDRs.
However, the software has unfortunately been abandoned by its authors for
several years, and can now only be found on third-party websites which
increases the possibility of downloading a virus.
Jacopo Cassinis, IU1QPT, author of SatDump, and Robin Slovacek, OK2AWO, for
sharing their thoughts about switching to SatDump which now has full
feature parity with WXtoIMG and additional features, too. SatDump is
available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, and even on Android. Read their
comments at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/.
An up-to-date guide for receiving APT pictures with SatDump can be found at
https://www.a-centauri.com/articoli/noaa-poes-satellites-reception.
Also available to watch on the rtl-sdr website is a short video on setting
up a simple v-dipole for NOAA weather satellite reception with the
SDR-Dongle. (The video uses the out-of-date WXtoIMG software but the
overall procedure for setting up the station is usable.) If you need to get
more ideas on weather satellite picture reception, just go to YouTube and
search “NOAA weather satellite reception” and be prepared to watch several
hours worth of useful videos.
Copying NOAA weather satellites is easy to do and a fun way to introduce
youngsters to space communications. It could be the first step to getting
that Technician ticket!
[ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com and AMSAT for the above information.]
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